Tuesday, January 31, 2006

My first attempt at liveblogging - State Of The Union

Update on 2/1:

I was very impressed with the President's speech last night. He listed the positive accomplishments in the Middle East, while emphasizing that the decision to bring the troops home would NOT be made by politicians in D.C. I also liked how he mentioned North Korea, Syria etc. as places where freedom is not a blessing. The tough talk on Iran and Hamas was very good - and needed. I liked the word "regime". Not a word used lightly, but he said it at least twice.

The senseless defending of the border policy was irritating. He sounded like a Democrat on that one. No, our nation doesn't need illegal immigrant labor. Grrrr...

I really liked how he mentioned teaching responsibility and abstinence along with other efforts to stop HIV/AIDS and unwanted teen pregnancy & abortion. Mentioning the accomplishments made in America's youth was impressive - but he seemed to be pushing for more federal funding and/or programs at times - not the best thing, especially for a Republican.

"Congress must put aside partisan politics." Good, but unrealistic. Working with Democrats won't do - they couldn't even put aside partisan politics for the address.

Recognizing Judge Roberts and Alito - I liked that. Shows another accomplishment without really showing it.

"Make dependance on Middle East oil a thing of the past." Good, but alternative fuel sources seem far-off and unrealistic. Finding other places to drill needs to also be on the table, because - face it - Americans won't all be driving fuel-cell cars tomorrow.

The part about stem-cell research was VERY good. I like that he came out strong on that issue - some would have been afraid to.

Medical Liability reform: Yes, very good on that, too. Tell what he wants, tell why he wants it, tell when he wants it. Direct and well-argued.

9:03 p.m.

Speech ends. "May God Bless America."

9:01

Speaking about HIV/AIDS research and prevention programs.

8:57

About Stem-Cell research: "Human life is a gift from our Creator, and that gift should never be... Discarded, or put up for sale."

8:55

Recognizes Justices Roberts and Alito. "I thank the Senate for confirming both of them... I will continue to nominate judges who understand that judges are servants of the law, and not legislate from the bench." Recognizes Sandra Day O'Connor.

8:54

Speaking about accomplishments in America's youth.


8:50

Proposing the 'American Competitiveness Initiative'.


8:48

"America is addicted to oil."
He's speaking about alternative fuel sources.
"...Make our dependence on Middle Eastern oil a thing of the past..."

8:47

"I ask the congress to pass medical liability reform this year."

8:45

Spinning the atrocious border policy. Grrr..

8:44

Has been speaking about social security, welfare reform, "Congress must put aside partisan politics."

8:34:

"I ask you to reauthorize the Patriot Act..."
NSA program: "Based on the authority given to me by the Constitution," "Previous presidents have used the same constitutional authority I did...
"If there are people inside our country talking to Al Quaida, we will not sit back and wait to be hit again."

8:30

Iran: "A nation now held hostage by a small, clerical regime... The nations of the world must not permit the Iranian regime to gain nuclear weapons... America will continue to rally the world to recognize these threats."
---
Speaks of Palestinian elections. Hamas must "Recognize Israel, disarm, and work for lasting peace."
---
"Says the decisions to bring our troops home will be made by our military commanders, not "politicians in Washington DC. Second guessing is not a strategy."
---
"We're on the offensive in Iraq, with a clear plan for victory. First we're helping the Iraqis build an inclusive government..."
---
"America rejects the false comfort of isolationism..."
---
"If we leave these people alone, they will not leave us alone, they will simply move the battle to our own shores."
---
"We do not forget the other half. In places like Syria, Iran... North Korea... They seek to impose a heartless system of totalitarian control throughout the middle east, and arm themselves with weapons of mass murder."
---
Speaking about Iraqi voters, women voters, Lebanon....
---
"Far from being a hopeless dream, the advance of freedom is the story of our time."
---
"Every step toward freedom in the world makes our country safter, so we will act boldly..."
---
"Abroad our nation is committed to an historic, longtime goal, we seek the end of tyrrany in this world. Some may dismiss this goal..."
---
"The road of isolationism... May seem protecting and inviting."
---
"Tonight the state of our union is strong, and together we will make it stronger."
---
"... We have served America through one of the most consecequential periods of American history. And it has been my honor to serve you."

Some good(rough) quotes:

8:12

Starts by memorializing Coretta Scott Key. Long applause.

8:08

"Mr. Speaker: The President of the United States!" Standing ovation. I hear some boos, though not many.

8:06
Charlie Gibson announces: Cindy Sheehan has just been arrested! Apparently, she was trying to bring in some sort of banner to her front-row seat.

8:04 p.m.
Politicians filing in to their seats. I'm about to scream because I'm being forced to listen to (AARGH!) Elizabeth Vargas opine about this being "a tough year for him[Bush]" and "undoubtedly, the worst". Grrr...

State Of The Union

I'm planning to watch the President's address later tonight, and here is what I would tell President Bush if I could advise him on what to say.

You must answer back, and without spin, the critics of the NSA wiretapping program.

Not, "in times like these, we must be vigilant, we must be strong", etc. That is fine for starters, but point-by-point is needed.

Same for Iraq. You must answer the spin with facts, or the spin will become accepted as facts.

Show the many positive accomplishments point blank without flowery words.

Push for drilling in ANWR as part of becoming less energy dependant.(Okay, I know this ain't happening, but I can dream...)

We do need to find alternative sources of energy, but please, don't spend the whole speech on that.

Iran. Tough, Reaganesque speech and policies are desperately needed right now.

Same for Palestine. Make it perfectly clear(please, no flowery speech) that we and Hamas are not on the same level, and Hamas needs to reform if they expect to ever be taken as anything but the terrorists they are.

I'll be blogging my opinion of the speech soon.

Alito confirmed; Democratic reaction.

Earlier today, Samuel Alito was confirmed and sworn in to the high court(yes!!) with a vote of 58-42.


Democratic response was quick and harsh...


From Dick Durbin...


John Kerry...

Ted Kennedy...

And of course,

Howard Dean...

Monday, January 30, 2006

This just irritates me.

I'm sure we've all heard that ABC News anchor Bob Woodruff and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were injured in Iraq by an IED.

And, of course, we all have them in our thoughts and prayers.
But, for heavens sake, lay off a bit!

As of yesterday, 4 U.S. soldiers were killed or injured by IEDs this week.

ABC News devoted much of their broadcast to Woodruff and Vogt's personal stories. (Their website is the same.)
Do they do the same for our soldiers?
All I can recall hearing are body counts. "Another brutal day in Iraq. Ten soldiers were killed..."
In fact, the only time I remember hearing the personal stories and memorials is when there is an anti-war agenda from a family member.

Yes, it's tragic what happened to Woodruff and Vogt, and we're all praying for their recovery.

But how about some fairness?

I've been nominated!

By Mary Ann for
Best So Far Blog Awards ~ January 2006.

I nominated Mary Ann and Edward.

You can nominate yourself or others - up to three per category - via email at BestSoFar@RightThinking.net, the same address to use for voting.
Nominations will be accepted through Wed, February 1st.

The categories are:
1. January's Best Pet Blogs
2. January's Best Political Blogs
3. January's Best LinkFest Blogs
4. January's Best Religious Blogs
5. January's Best Humor Blogs
6. January's Best Personal Blogs

Voting (via email) will take place February 1st - February 5th, and winners will be announced on Sunday, February 5th.

So...

I'm telling you this...

So you can, please...

Vote for Eye Of The Storm!

Sunday, January 29, 2006

Profile of a hero - Desmond Doss.


When you are a lifelong Seventh-day Adventist, there are some people you just grow up knowing about.
Desmond Doss is one of them.

Before I tell the story, I should start by saying that the Adventist church encourages its members to serve their country as noncombatants, and not carry weapons. I happen to not agree with that position for a variety of reasons, but those are my convictions.

And Desmond Doss surely had some convictions.

When he was young, experiences served to convict him never, ever to take human life.

Then WWII broke out.
Although eligible for a deferment, 23-year-old Desmond willingly entered service as a medic for the 77th Infantry Division.
It wasn't easy.
In addition to being determined never to carry a gun, Desmond Doss also had another conviction. A Seventh-day Adventist, he was determined to always honor the seventh day Sabbath.
Desmond endured months of torment from his fellow soldiers and from commanding officers alike. But they soon learned he would not compromise.
Paperwork was then initiated to declare him unstable, a miss-fit, discharge him from service with a Section-8 discharge as "unsuitable for military service."

But he didn't want a discharge.

He performed all of his other duties with dedication, was an exemplary soldier in every other way. At his hearing he told the board, "I'd be a very poor Christian if I accepted a discharge implying that I was mentally off because of my religion. I'm sorry, gentlemen, but I can't accept that kind of a discharge."

And so they were 'stuck'.

Then came Guam. Soon after landing, Desmond earned the respect of the men, and stories began to circulate about his bravery on the battlefield and his willingness to treat anyone, no matter how gravely wounded.

The 'stories' followed him to Leyte, and one typical exploit was when he dashed out into the open to rescue a wounded man while the area was still riddled with sniper fire.
From a distance his fellow soldiers watched in horror as a Japanese sniper aimed his rifle at Doss.
Because of the sniper's position they could not return fire for fear of injuring some of their own.

Doss treated the wounded man, evacuated him, and returned to his position, safe. (Years later a missionary in Japan related a story in which after the service a Japanese man in the back of the room told a deacon, "That could very well have been me. I was there, and I remember having a soldier in my gun site, but I couldn't pull the trigger.")

Desmond made it through Leyte and he was awarded the Bronze Star Medal for his bravery.

It was the morning of April 29th, 1945.
By then his devout religious practices were well-known, so no one was surprised when he suggested prayer.

And they frankly needed quite a bit right then. The men were about to face a sheer 400-foot cliff that split the island of Okinawa known as the Maeda Escarpment. It would be necessary to attack and capture this area. The men of Company B bowed their heads as Doss offered a prayer for safety. Then they began to struggle up the sheer cliff face, in an attempt take the important area.

His unit captured the 400-foot Maeda Escarpment in an incredible sweep in which not one man was killed and only one minor injury was sustained.
When a photographer arrived to capture the moment and asked how they pulled it off, Doss' company commander answered, "Doss prayed!"

However on May 5th the tide turned against the Americans as the Japanese launched a huge counterattack. Enemy fire raked Company B and 75 men fell wounded.

Those who were still able retreated back down to the base of the escarpment.
At the top of the cliff were the wounded men, the Japanese, and Desmond T. Doss.
For the next five hours, while his wounded comrades fought back their attackers, Desmond began to lower one after another wounded man to safety down the face of the cliff using nothing but a rope tied around a tree stump.

He later said that he just kept praying, "One more, Lord!"

No one knows for sure how many men Doss lowered to safety that day.
One hundred and fifty-five soldiers went up the escarpment that day, and only 55 were able to retreat without assistance
The Army determined that Desmond Doss had personally saved 100 lives.
Doss replied, "Couldn't be, I wouldn't have had the time to save 100 men."

Because of Doss' humble insistence, when the citation for his Medal of Honor was written, they 'split the difference' and he was credited with saving the lives of 75 of his wounded soldiers.

On May 21st, the battle was raging again, and the soldiers were under fire while Doss remained in the open to help a wounded soldier. He and three other soldiers had crawled into a hole to wait for until dark to escape... when a grenade was thrown into their hole. The other three men jumped out to safety, but Desmond instinctively placed his foot on the grenade. It blew up right under him. Although he miraculously survived and did not lose his leg, he was gravely wounded.
He didn't want to endanger anyone else so he bandaged his own wounds and waited five hours until daylight for help to arrive.
He was being carried off the field when they passed another critically wounded soldier.

Doss rolled off the litter and insisted the medics take the other man.

He and another wounded soldier started to hobble off while supporting each other. Doss had his arm across the other man's neck when he felt a bullet slam into his arm. It shattered Doss upper arm but saved the other man's life.

On the way out to a hospital ship offshore, Doss discovered that he had lost his treasured bible,
a gift from his wife. He sent word asking if the men could keep an eye out for it.
The word passed from man to man, and an entire battalion combed the war-torn battlefield.
They found it.
A sergeant carefully dried it out and mailed it to Doss.

On October 12, 1945 Desmond Doss was invited to the White House. As he shook his hand, President Harry S Truman said to the brave young medic, "I consider this a greater honor than being President."


Then he hung the Medal of Honor around the neck of Corporal Desmond Thomas Doss.


(Sources: Home of Heroes, MedalofHonor.com)

Now we can see why the Liberals are acting like she disappeared without a trace...

From Fox News.
Emphasis mine.
CARACAS, Venezuela — Cindy Sheehan, the peace activist
who just announced that she is weighing a run for Senate, plans to
protest again outside President Bush's Texas ranch, Venezuela's president
said Sunday with Sheehan by his side.

Hugo Chavez, his arm around
Sheehan's shoulders, told a group of activists that Sheehan had told him that
during Holy Week, in April, "she is going to put up her tent again in front of
Mr. Danger's ranch."
"She invited me to put up a tent. Maybe I'll put up my
tent also," Chavez said, to applause from activists invited to his weekly
broadcast on the final day of the leftist World Social Forum.


Go ahead, Mr. Chavez. I'm sure Code Pink and Veterans For Peace will welcome you.
Now we can see why our former media darling has disappeared without a trace. It's just too hard to admit you were wrong - better to act like she was never there at all...

What is an American

(sorry for the loss of comments - I had to delete this and repost it because it somehow messed up my template.)

I found this over at Sandy's blog, through Gayle's site.
This is by Peter Ferrara.
You probably missed it in the rush of news last week, but there was actually a report that someone in Pakistan had published in a newspaper there an offer of a reward to anyone who killed an American, any American.
So I just thought I would write to let them know what an American is, so they would know when they found one.
An American is English…or French, or Italian, Irish, German, Spanish, Polish, Russian or Greek. An American may also be African, Indian, Chinese, Japanese, Australian, Iranian, Asian, or Arab, or Pakistani, or Afghan.
An American is Christian, or he could be Jewish, or Buddhist, or Muslim.
In fact, there are more Muslims in America than in Afghanistan.
The only difference is that in America they are free to worship as each of them choose.
An American is also free to believe in no religion.
For that he will answer only to God, not to the government, or to armed thugs claiming to speak for the government and for God.
An American is from the most prosperous land in the history of the world.
The root of that prosperity can be found in the Declaration of Independence, which recognizes the God-given right of each man and woman to the pursuit of happiness.
An American is generous. Americans have helped out just about every other nation in the world in their time of need.
When Afghanistan was overrun by the Soviet army 20 years ago, Americans came with arms and supplies to enable the people to win back their country.
As of the morning of September 11, Americans had given more than any other nation to the poor in Afghanistan.
An American does not have to obey the mad ravings of ignorant, ungodly cruel, old men. American men will not be fooled into giving up their lives to kill innocent people, so that these foolish old men may hold on to power.
American women are free to show their beautiful faces to the world, as each of them choose.
An American is free to criticize his government's officials when they are wrong, in his or her own opinion.
Then he is free to replace them, by majority vote.
Americans welcome people from all lands, all cultures, all religions, because they are not afraid. They are not afraid that their history, their religion, their beliefs, will be overrun, or forgotten. That is because they know they are free to hold to their religion, their beliefs, their history, as each of them choose.
And just as Americans welcome all, they enjoy the best that everyone has to bring, from all over the world.
The best science, the best technology, the best products, the best books, the best music, the best food, the best athletes.
Americans welcome the best, but they also welcome the least.
The nation symbol of America welcomes your tired and your poor, the wretched refuse of your teeming shores, the homeless, tempest tossed.
These in fact are the people who built America.
Many of them were working in the twin towers on the morning of September 11, earning a better life for their families.
So you can try to kill an American if you must. Hitler did. So did General Tojo and Stalin and Mao Tse-Tung, and every bloodthirsty tyrant in the history of the world.
But in doing so you would just be killing yourself.
Because Americans are not a particular people from a particular place.
They are the embodiment of the human spirit of freedom. Everyone who holds to that spirit, everywhere, is an American.
So look around you. You may find more Americans in your land than you thought were there. One day they will rise up and overthrow the old, ignorant, tired tyrants that trouble too many lands. Then those lands too will join the community of free and prosperous nations.
And America will welcome them.

Friday, January 27, 2006

It happens in Canada, too.

(Thanks to ABFreedom for alterting me to this)
Only it's worse.
From Edmonton Sun:
A perverted senior who molested a 10-year-old city girl avoided being put behind bars yesterday, despite a demand from the victim's father for a prison term.
Bernd Jurgen Sheitz, 62, was given an 18-month conditional sentence to be served in the community after pleading guilty to sexual assault and sexual interference... Provincial court Judge Shelagh Creagh said the case was "close to the line" separating conditional sentences from jail terms, but ruled it is appropriate to let Sheitz serve his time in his home because he is a low risk to reoffend.


This is awful. No jail time? I couldn't care less if the guy is sorry, if he apologized or if he's a "low risk to reoffend". What about his first victim? Does she not deserve justice?

The father told Creagh the fact she can consider a conditional sentence is "more perverted than the crime itself."
He said his daughter, now 11, will never be the same.
"My daughter is changed forever," he said. "A man can't hug her anymore. Her sense of security is gone."


Amen.

Thursday, January 26, 2006

Can you say "hypocrites"?

Senate Dems Call for Special Counsel to Run Abramoff Investigation

Really?

Will they investigate Harry Reid also?

Will Harry Reid be referred to as "embattled" for the next year, until he's indicted(especially if it's by a political hack), whereupon he will be instantly guilty?

I really doubt it.

Bottom line is, we don't know. Harry Reid and other Democrats could have nothing to do with any wrongdoing, or they could be guilty as sin. So could Republicans.
But Republicans don't get the benefit of the doubt.

New sentence for child rapist

BURLINGTON, Vt. — A controversial ruling for a sex offender in Vermont was changed Thursday from 60 days to 3 to 10 years after a judge received pressure to extend the punishment.
Read the rest.

Okay. This really is better. But 3 - 10 years? Don't kid me. This thug will be out in no later than 3 years. It's still a travesty of Justice.

Where are the Democratic lawmakers from Vermont? The ACLU? N.O.W.? Where's Code Pink? A.N.S.W.E.R.? Will the NYT have over 50 front-page stories on it? Was it and will it be discussed endlessly on "Meet The Press", and "This Week"?

Wrong as it was- those Abu Ghraib prisoners weren't even citizens. They were foriegn terrorists! They surely gained advocates.
Who's fighting for this little girl?

Hamas wins in "landslide"

A shocking victory for Hamas in the first Palestinian parliamentary elections in a decade seemed to catch winners and losers off guard, and major decisions lay ahead for both Hamas and the rival Fatah Party.
Official election results came in Thursday, with Hamas picking up 76 seats in the 132-seat parliament and Fatah winning just 43.


How nice. I'd love to see how they "get out the vote". What did they have, "bomb-a-thons"?

With Ahmadinejad and now this, Israel needs our support more than ever.
We can't let one of the only free states over there be "wiped off the map".

(On a side note, Adventists, unlike most Evangelical Christians, do not have religious beliefs advocating the modern Israeli state. My support is purely from a "freedom against repression" viewpoint. Prove to me that Israel is wrong against Palestine.)

Tuesday, January 24, 2006

Alito Gets Partisan Thumbs Up From Senate Judiciary Committee

(underline added, my comments in italics)
WASHINGTON —
In a party-line vote, the Senate Judiciary Committee on Tuesday
recommended that Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court be sent to the
full Senate for approval. The Senate is next to take up debate,
(oh,
brother...)
beginning Wednesday.


No surprise here. Whatever they may say, Washington could politicize anything. If some Democrats actually vote for Alito, they might lose political muscle for the midterms. The only Republican nominee they will vote for is someone either
a) a Liberal or
b) someone with no record so they can be innocent for constituents if they turn out (gasp!) Conservative.
In rare cases, they might vote for a minority or a woman.

Of course, to be fair, as Ann Coulter said, George Bush could nominate his dog Barney to the Supreme Court, and Conservatives would rush to defend him.
They assure Democrats, "don't worry, he won't overturn Roe v Wade", even though that is exactly what everyone but the weakest of Republicans wants.
It's a complete political circus.
I do expect Alito will be confirmed eventually. But watch out for a lot of maddening vociferous rhetoric from both sides.

Monday, January 23, 2006

First polls close in Canadian elections.

The polls have closed in Newfoundland and the Maritimes as Canadians choose a
government.
Although results cannot be posted on websites until 10 p.m. ET
on Monday, after all ballots are cast across the country, the easternmost polls
closed at 8:30 p.m. Newfoundland time (7 p.m. ET).
Polls closed half an hour
later in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, Prince Edward Island, most of Labrador and
ÎIles de la Madeleine.


We in the US are also hoping this turns out well for the Conservatives. Canada has been a liberal cesspool long enough - time to reclaim Canada for conservatism!

Update: Stephen Harper wins election!

Saturday, January 21, 2006

GRRRRRR!! Hands off my polls!

All right. I suppose you thought it was clever. Rest assured, I am still in control of my own polls. Leave sane comments, don't vote more than once, no spam and keep it clean. If not:
You will be deleted.
Blog rules still apply for my polls.

Important. New disease spreading.

Yes, a disease is spreading. The disease is most common in places such as New Hampshire, Southern California and Vermont. The disease reached epidemic proportions during the 90s, but leveled off by around 2000.
However, the leveling off has, sadly, increased the symptoms of others still infected to the point of hysteria.
Although it's not deadly, some known symptoms are listed below.

It may cause one to...

get out of touch with reality...

have unexplained affection for totalitarian dictators...

scream...

cry...

moan...

make a boob of oneself...

make a bigger boob of oneself...

There is, however, faint hope. We believe we have isolated the reason for this disease, and have even developed a scientific name...

See below...



Lib' er - al

Not that CodePink really cares about truth...

But did you hear what they've done now?
Seems in a recruiting ad for anti-Bush/ anti-Iraq war activities, Code Pink photoshopped pictures of Iranian women protesting their government to make it look the same. But of course, to Code Pink, they are the same.
Here is the first picture that was on their site, merged with the un-doctored original by
Attack Machine:


After the first picture showed up - wonder of wonders - blogger outrage ensued and CodePink was caught with their hand in the cookie jar.
So, they admitted they were wrong, removed the ad, and apologized to the Iranian women for misrepresenting their cause and using them.

No, of course not.

The banner has now been replaced with yet another seemingly photoshopped picture. Here it is:

Do they ever learn?

Friday, January 20, 2006

Another silly picture.

Just a flashback to '04... (Canadians can just picture Paul Martin.)


Wednesday, January 18, 2006

Too funny not to post.

Howard Dean doesn't seem to like my blog very much...

Rice: Iran Can't Have Nuclear Weapons Capability

That part I agree with. But just read the first sentence of the article. (Emphasis added.)

WASHINGTON —
Momentum is building to refer Iran to the United Nations Security Council for possible sanctions. Britain, France and Germany, the three countries that make up the European Union-3 that has been negotiating with Iran, have drafted a resolution that seeks a Security Council referral.

While sometimes political pressure works, remember:
sanctions, political pressure, rhetoric, UN Resolutions - all of those were used against Saddam Hussein.
But not even being driven out of Kuwait slowed him. In fact, nothing stopped him from raping, torturing and killing his people for decades.
That should really show the futility of all this. Possible sanctions?

Tuesday, January 17, 2006

Want proof the Dems play the race card?

Well, here it is. Via Fox News. I have added my own comments in italics.

NEW YORK — Sen. Hillary Clinton on Monday blasted the Bush administration as
"one of the worst" in U.S. history - You'd think he'd, like, gotten
impeached or something
- and compared the Republican-controlled House of
Representatives to a plantation where dissenting voices are squelched. - Oh,
like Vince Foster?
- Speaking during a Martin Luther King Jr. Day event, - Convenient timing, eh? -Clinton also offered an apology to a group of
Hurricane Katrina survivors "on behalf of a government that left you behind,
that turned its back on you." -I never saw her lift a finger during Katrina.
Why wasn't she volunteering? Oh, that's right, she was preparing for press
conferences.
-Her remarks were met with thunderous applause by a mostly
black audience at the Canaan Baptist Church of Christ in Harlem. - Anyone
here surprised?
-The House "has been run like a plantation, and you know
what I'm talking about", - No, what exactly are you talkin'
about, Hillary? -
said Clinton, D-N.Y. "It has been run in a way
so that nobody with a contrary view has had a chance to present legislation, to
make an argument, to be heard."



So there you have it. Playing the race card and tossing around incendiary phrases like "plantation" that have nothing to do with your point, spinning or outright making up events, pretending to fight for the "little guy" in a ridiculously transparent bid for votes, and attacking Republicans. Typical Hillary.

Sunday, January 15, 2006

Call me cynical, but...

Who besides me is tired of the 15 year old who pulled a gun at school then was shot by cops made out to be anything other than a tragic story of suicide by cop?
If the boy was black, I wouldn't be surprised to see Jesse Jackson step forward to take on the case.

Of course, it's really sad, especially for the family now.
But the officer did nothing wrong, and this boy was not a victim, as the media will imply.
I'm sure the parents of Columbine wish someone could have shot Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold.

Saturday, January 14, 2006

Just wasting time here...

Your Blog Should Be Green

Your blog is smart and thoughtful - not a lot of fluff.
You enjoy a good discussion, especially if it involves picking apart ideas.
However, you tend to get easily annoyed by any thoughtless comments in your blog.

Dems May Delay Next Week's Alito Vote

Click on my title for the link.

(Emphasis mine - guess why)
After a five-day hearing on whether Samuel Alito should be the
110th justice on the Supreme Court, Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Arlen
Specter said he will vote in favor of sending the nomination to the Senate
floor.
"I intend to vote to support Judge Alito for associate justice of the
Supreme Court..."


Despite Specter stressing the importance of giving Alito
an up-or-down vote and making sure the nomination is sent to the full Senate for
consideration, Democrats may try to delay the committee
vote
.
"A number of our members are going to be home
for
Martin Luther King events this weekend, will not
be back on time on Tuesday and so they will exercise their
rights
" to delay the vote, said the committee's ranking Democrat, Sen.
Patrick Leahy of Vermont.



Let's see - playin' the race card and making up "rights", all at the same time... Sounds pretty typical.

Saddam trial judge resigns

From Fox News.
BAGHDAD, Iraq — The chief judge in Saddam Hussein's trial has submitted his resignation after becoming fed up with criticism that he had let the proceedings spin out of control, a court official said Saturday.
But it wasn't clear if Rizgar Mohammed Amin's resignation had been accepted amid behind-the-scenes efforts to change his mind.
Amin is the head of a five-judge tribunal overseeing the case against Saddam and seven co-defendants for the deaths of more than 140 Shiite

Muslims in the town of Dujail in 1982 in retaliation for an assassination attempt.

I'm not sure if this will have huge impact, though it's not good.
But, for the very first test of a free justice system, I say they're still doing well.

Friday, January 13, 2006

Those lovely Muslims...

Iran to hang teenage girl attacked by rapists
Tehran, Iran, Jan. 07 – An Iranian court has sentenced a teenage rape
victim to death by hanging after she weepingly confessed that she had
unintentionally killed a man who had tried to rape both her and her
niece...
She described how the three men pushed her and her 16-year-old niece
Somayeh onto the ground and tried to rape them, and said that she took out a
knife from her pocket and stabbed one of the men in the hand.As the girls tried
to escape, the men once again attacked them, and at this point, Nazanin said,
she stabbed one of the men in the chest. The teenage girl, however, broke down
in tears in court as she explained that she had no intention of killing the man
but was merely defending herself and her younger niece from rape, the report
said.The court, however, issued on Tuesday a sentence for Nazanin to be hanged
to death.


And as I understand it, it was a lose-lose situation for the poor girl. Those peaceful Muslims also are know to stone rape victims.
Remind me again - why aren't liberal feminists fighting for the real victims in the world? This girl needs advcocates more than Anita Hill did.

Wednesday, January 11, 2006

Why I Like Charlie Daniels.

I don't know how many people have actually heard this song, but it's a really great song that epitomizes how people like me felt after 9-11. Like Toby Keith's "Courtesy Of The Red, White, And Blue", it has been censored and bashed a time or two by folks who are afraid of offending someone. (Check out this site for more.)
But here it is:

This ain't no rag it's a flag and we don't wear it on our heads
It's a symbol of the land where the good guys live, are you listening to what I said
You're a coward and a fool and you broke all the rules
and you wounded our American pride
Now we're coming with a gun and
we know you're gonna run but you can't find no place to hide
We're gonna hunt you down like a mad dog hound and
make you pay for the lives you stole
We're all through talking and messing around and now it's time to rock and roll
These colors don't run and we're speaking as one when we say united we stand
If you mess with one you mess with us all every boy, girl, woman and man
You've been acting mighty rash and talking that trash but let me give you some advice
You can crawl back in your hole like a dirty little mole but now it's time to pay the price
You might have shot us in the back but now you have to face the fact that the big boy's in the game
The lightning's been flashing and the thunder's been crashing and now it's gettin ready to rain
(Chorus:) This is the United States of America the land of the brave and free
We believe in God, we believe in justice, we believe in liberty
You've been pulling our chain, we shoulda done something about you a long time ago
But now the flag's flying high and the fur's gonna fly and now the whole world's gonna know
This ain't no rag it's a flag old glory red white and blue
The stars and stripes and when it comes to a fight we can do what we have to do
Our people stand proud the American crowd is faithful and loyal and tough
We're as good as the best and better than the rest you're gonna find out soon enough
When you look up in the sky and you see the eagle fly you'd better know he's headed your way
This ain't no rag it's a flag and it stands for the USA, USA, USA!!

Pretty much says it all, huh?

Sounds like a good idea to me...

Republican Wants Gov. Blanco Recalled
From Fox News:
BATON ROUGE, La. — A Republican who says she has never worked on a
political campaign filed documents Tuesday launching a drive to oust Gov.
Kathleen Blanco, who was harshly criticized for her response to hurricanes
Katrina and Rita.
Kat Landry, who filed a recall petition with state
elections officials, said Louisiana needs new leadership to recover from the
storms' back-to-back blows.
"What we have seen in the past few months is a
lack of leadership, a lack of communication, a lack of understanding of how to
get things done," Landry said.
In Louisiana, getting a recall on the ballot
requires petition signatures from at least one-third of the state's registered
voters, or about 900,000 people, in 180 days, according to Jennifer Marusak of
the secretary of state's office.


Sounds like a good idea to me. While they're at it, why not recall Ray Nagin, too?
I believe those two are the biggest nincompoops I've ever seen. There were countless missed opportunities(school buses, anyone?), countless failures to work effectively with FEMA(Gov. Blanco delaying signing the order to send FEMA in.) and of course, debacles like this.

I can't help but compare and contrast to when last year's hurricane hit our town.
As far as I know, the leadership at the federal level was the same and the hurricane was only slightly weaker than Katrina. But the situation was handled as close to perfectly as you can get. Call our community leaders "good ol' boys", if you want(and they do get that a lot), but these good ol' boys handled the hurricane darn well, as did my governor. Briefings were professional, shelters were available, evacuations were smooth, supplies came in, and the situation stayed stable when the supplies came in.

Maybe FEMAs biggest fault during Katrina was not being able to work with nincompoops.

Tuesday, January 10, 2006

"White House, Europeans Warn Iran After Nuclear Equipment Unsealed"

Via Fox News.
WASHINGTON —
In the presence of International
Atomic Energy Agency
inspectors, Iran on Tuesday unsealed uranium enrichment
equipment that the U.N. agency had blocked from use because the Islamic republic
was in violation of nuclear non-proliferation rules.
The return to its
nuclear program at the plant in Natanz angered U.S. and European officials who
say Iran is resuming nuclear research that they believe is part of an effort to
build nuclear weapons.
Iran's move is a "serious escalation" of its nuclear
standoff with the West, and if it continues to defy world opinion, the U.N.
Security Council will have no choice but to impose sanctions, said White House
Press Secretary Scott McClellan.
"Any resumption, any resumption of
enrichment and reprocessing activities would be a further violation" of previous
agreements made by Iran, McClellan said. "Such steps would be a serious
escalation of the nuclear issue by the regime in Iran.
"If it continues down
this road and the negotiations have run their course, then there is only one
option to pursue. And that is referral to the Security Council. And that is what
we will be talking with our — are talking about with our — European friends and
others," McClellan said.
Read the
rest
.


I think I've already stated my opinion on Iran. This is a very dangerous situation for the U.S. developing over there, and one way of the other, something has to be done. And soon.

Monday, January 09, 2006

Another Terror Attack?

I don't know, but I do know San Fran Cops Defused a Bomb at Starbucks.

SAN FRANCISCO —
Police defused an explosive device found in the bathroom of a Starbucks
on Monday.
No one was injured.
Authorities were called around 1:15 p.m., after
an employee reported finding something suspicious in the store's bathroom. About
100 people were evacuated from the store and apartments above it, and the street
was closed to traffic, said Sgt. Neville Gittens.
"This was a good device. If
it had exploded, it would have caused injuries or damage,"
said Gittens...

Religion of peace?

From Fox News:
OAKLAND, Calif. — Dressed in bow ties and dark suits, nearly a dozen men carrying metal pipes entered a corner store, shattered refrigerator cases and smashed bottles of liquor, wine and beer, terrifying the clerk but stealing nothing.
The just wanted to leave a message: Stop selling alcohol to fellow Muslims.

Read more here.

Sure, and Adventists don't drink, either, but I don't really see this happening by us.
If Muslims want to advance their credibility as a "religion of peace", they need stop doing, um, peaceful stuff like this.

What did I tell you...

Well, the "questioning" of Judge Alito has begun. Democrats have promised "tough questions", and Republicans want "fairness". Ha.
Republicans are talking their heads off about Judge Alito's sterling perfection on the bench, his genuis and humility, his unbelievable understanding of law, respect for precedent, and his divine omnipetence.
Republicans, of course, are second only to Democrats, who also talk their heads off while implying Judge Alito is secretly a member of the KKK, has a harem of enslaved wives, is Hitler's evil spawn, and wants wiretapping of Democrats' homes.
But, if for no other reason, at least tune in because Alito has not mastered the look of "smiley genuis being jabbered at by dense blowhards" that John Roberts did.
Instead it's more like "irritated genuis being jabbered at by dense blowhards".
Remind me again - what is the purpose of all this?

Saturday, January 07, 2006

Another tag!

Sycorax tagged me and now I have to think of 5 more strange things about me. Okay, I admit, it's not all that hard...

All right, here they are.
1. I am a twin.
2. I'm homeschooled.
3. I couldn't waterski if you held a gun to my head. (Okay, okay, that's not a real one, but it's what I said when they did this at summer camp!)
4. Oh duh - I forgot. I'm a vegetarian.
5. Ummm... I'm learning to play the Harmonica? No, really, I am!

Now, who to tag...
I couldn't find 5, but I did find 4 victims...
Tash
Canadial Sentinel
Justthinkin
Little Miss Chatterbox

Friday, January 06, 2006

This is so crazy...

... even a Liberal blogsite picked up the Washington Post smear of Millblogger Bill Roggio.

The gist of the story is this: the Washington Post featured an article(linked above) in which it combined the story about some soldiers paying Iraqi TV Stations for postive coverage with the story of Roggio being imbedded, and egregiously linked the two. Bill Roggio pointed out some of the more glaring errors in the story in a National Review article(also linked above.)

So, why am I blogging about this? Because the Post reporters Jonathan Finer and Douglas Struck still refuse to correct their error. Why? I don't know.
Maybe they just think they can get away with it.

Here is the contact info.

Thursday, January 05, 2006

There he goes again- and again, and again, and again...

Here is what Iranian "President"-soon-to-be-dictator Mahmoud Ahmadinejad had to say about Ariel Sharon:

"Hopefully, the news that the criminal of Sabra and Chatilla has joined his ancestors is final,"

Surprised?

Wednesday, January 04, 2006

I'm just shilling for my brother here...

'Cause he has a great post about "torture". You should check it out!

A preview of the Alito hearings...

Since I watched quite a bit of the Roberts Confirmation hearings, since the Alito fight is heating up, and since I'm just a general smart-aleck anyway, here's a little preview...

Fox News Announcer: "And now we take you to the Alito Hearings, where Senator Dianne Fienstein is about to question the would-be justice."....

Fienstein: Mr. Alito, your record indicates that you have, for many years, been against that great, that wonderful, that super-douper precedent of Roe v Wade. Yes! Roe v Wade, that landmark case of the right of a woman against government intrusion, the right of the small against the great..."(various babble for 10 minutes) "So, Judge Alito, what would your answer be?"

Alito: "I forgot the question, and besides, I can't comment on that."

Arlen Spector: "Thank you Mr. Alito, Ms. Fienstein. Now we will hear from Senator - yes Senator. Ah, the Senate! A bastion of good, and right. Of fair mindedness and Justice! The Senate, Oh, the Senate will be fair with Alito, I trust..."(goes on for 15 minutes) "And, as I was saying, we'll hear from Senator Lindsey Graham at this time. Sir? Wake up, sir!"

Graham: (Yawns) "Greetings to Judge Alito, Senator Spector. To start with, I would like to remind everyone here that Judge Alito is a fair man. Yes, a fair man who will put precedent over principle, law over opinion, and above all, respect justice. So, Mr. Alito, I would like to commend you on your wonderful ability to do so. It is amazing to the lay person how you can do such a thing, but you have proven, oh you have proven, that you can."(Goes on for 20 minutes...) "So, what I would like to ask you, is will you continue with your sterling record, your admirable judicial temperament, and your amazing respect for precedent?"

Alito: "Yes."

Spector: "And now we'll hear from Senator Ted Ken..."(confers briefly in whispers) "... as soon as he returns from the bar- uh, business."

Kennedy: "Ssenatorr Alito - uh, Judge Alito, first I would like to ssay, as your record indicates, you are against a-abortions?"

Alito: "I can't comment on that"

Kennedy: "B-but we have records to show that you wwanted to enslave women to their husbands b-by fforcing them to wear bonnets."

Alito: "No, to tell their husbands if they wanted to kill their baby. And I can't comment on that."

Kennedy: "It's a w-woman's right to an a-abortion, started by that wonderful preshedent, Roe v Wade. Womenn for YEARS have trusted this preshedent to give them rights. Rights! Inalienable rights!"(goes on for 20 minutes) "So, what do you say to that?"

Alito: "I forgot the question."

Tuesday, January 03, 2006

Just some silliness...

Well, "Sweety", Gayle's dog has inspired Reagan(my dog) to make some - late - New Years Resolutions.

Reagan says...

1: I will stop barking at nothing in the middle of the night. My people get mad when I snarl and bark at their shirt hanging on the door, or at my nightmare.

2: (I'll believe it when I see it...) I will stop dropping my slobbery, shredded toys in Rebekah's lap and then staring at her - like in my picture there - with my slobbery mouth on her leg.

3: I'll stop shoving my wet nose into Rebekah's hand when I want what she's eating.

4: I'll stop jumping up on Rebekah's bed when gets up in the night. It hurts my feelings when she shoves me off her pillow, and sometimes I fight back. Then she gets mad!

5: (I don't know about this...)I will get over my crazy fear of baths that makes me run and hide, trembling, on the nearest chair or bed and then force Rebekah to carry me because I keep falling on my back when she pulls at my collar.

6: I will try very hard to stop hunting sunlight, flashlight beams, and bugs for hours on end. It makes my people mad when I try to climb the piano. I'll also stop believing that mean ol' Rebekah when she tells me a raisin on someone's leg is A BUG!! I eat it so fast I sometimes inhale it, which hurts!

Happy New years, everyone, and I hope you're doing better with your resolutions than Reagan is!

What do you think?

I saw previews for the movie "Munich", and it looked very interesting, but this review convinced me I should pass it up. I'm really not a fan of excessively violent movies.
But, some politics have predictably come up. A blogger whose site I visit occassionally, posted about some problems he and other Jews have with it. Honestly, I'd take anything from Steven Spielberg with a grain of salt(I saw "The Terminal" - in my opinion a badly disguised cut at airport security measures, the NTSA, the HSA, etc.) but I'd like your opinions on this movie, if you've seen it(or not!) Like I said, I'm not iron gutted enough to face "Munich", but what do you think?

Monday, January 02, 2006

Patriotic Country song #2

Yes, I will keep harrassing you about Patriotic Country.

Robosquirrel brought up a very good point in his latest post, and I thought I'd do a post too, but this song was more eloquent than I could be.
(Country fans will have heard this one for sure, so this is for you non-country fans!)
Darryl Worley
I hear people sayin'
we don't need this war
But I say there's some things worth fighting for.
What about our freedom
and this piece of ground?
We didn't get to keep 'em by backing down
They say we don't realize the mess we're getting in.
Before you start your preaching
let me ask you this my friend.
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire.
And her people blown away.
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell.
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden.
Have you forgotten?
They took all the footage off my T.V.
Said it's too disturbing for you and me.
It'll just breed anger that's what the experts say.
If it was up to me I'd show it everyday.
Some say this country's just out looking for a fight.
After 9/11 man I'd have to say that's right.
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away.
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going thru a living hell.
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden.
Have you forgotten?
I've been there with the soldiers
Who've gone away to war
And you can bet that they remember
Just what they're fighting for
Have you forgotten how it felt that day?
To see your homeland under fire
And her people blown away
Have you forgotten when those towers fell?
We had neighbors still inside going through a living hell
And you say we shouldn't worry 'bout bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten all the people killed?
Some went down like heros in that Pennsylvania field.
Have you forgotten about our Pentagon?
All the loved ones that we lost and those left to carry on.
Don't you tell me not to worry about bin Laden
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?
Have you forgotten?


    You should also check out Robosquirrel, and Bloviating Zeppelin's posts.

    My other brother's new blog


    Now it's really a family thing! My younger brother, Edward(13) has just caved in and started a new blog of his own. It's, The Gun Dude, a blog about Conservative politics, 2nd amendment rights and whatever else he wants to do. He'll kill me when he sees this, but the picture to the right is him. He only has one post up now, but he'd really like it if you go over and say Hey. Just don't tell him I told you to!

    This is horrible

    Now we can see how much Kathleen Blanco cares about starving hurricane victims.
    Apparently new offices are so much more important.

    I must've missed something...

    Because BET.com viewers chose Louis Farrakhan as 2005 person of the year. Yep, that Louis Farrakhan. Louis "Mother ship" Farrakhan, Louis "the levees were blown up" Farrakhan. Hmm... I'm half surprised "Tookie" wasn't chosen.

    (hat tip: Michelle Malkin)

    Sunday, January 01, 2006

    Iran - a growing threat

    Yes. Whether you accept it or not, Iran is quickly becoming the new Iraq. Mahmoud Ahmadinejad just gets crazier and crazier every day. And does anybody care? So far, FNC is the only channel where I've seen any in-depth coverage, or anything more than a passing mention. So what did Ahmadinejad say now?
    From Fox News
    Iran's hard-line
    president who has said the Holocaust was a myth, now has charged that European
    countries sought to complete the genocide by establishing a Jewish state in the
    midst of Muslim countries.

    "Don't you think that
    continuation of genocide by expelling Jews from Europe was one of their aims in
    creating a regime of occupiers of Al-Quds (Jerusalem)?" the official Islamic
    Republic News agency quoted Ahmadinejad as saying Sunday. "Isn't that an
    important question?"



    We all know Liberals are harshly against war. So why do they choose to ignore problems until they come to a war?